"An al-Qaida-linked extremist group warned Pope Benedict XVI on Monday that he and the West were "doomed," as protesters raged across the Muslim world to demand more of an apology from the pontiff for his remarks about Islam and violence."

"The pope on Sunday said he was "deeply sorry" about the angry reaction to his speech last week in which he cited the words of a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of Islam's Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman" and referred to spreading Islam "BY THE SWORD.""

"The group said Muslims would be victorious and addressed the pope as "the worshipper of the cross" saying "you and the West are doomed as you can see from the defeat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and elsewhere. ... We will break up the cross, spill the liquor and impose head tax,then the only thing acceptable is a conversion (to Islam) [OR KILLED BY THE SWORD.""

"...more than 100 people rallied in front of the heavily guarded Vatican Embassy in Jakarta, waving banners that said the "Pope is building religion on hatred.""

The appeal by Fikret Karabekmez, a former legislator for the banned pro-Islamic Welfare Party, called for Benedict to be tried under several Turkish laws, among them obstruction of freedom of belief, encouraging discrimination based on religion, and inciting religious hatred."

"In the Middle East, where MUSLIMS THREW FIREBOMBS AT SEVEN CHURCHES in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over the weekend, Christian leaders posted guards outside some churches."

Emphases mine.

First, one obviously can't blame the Pope. It's not as if those reactions to Bush's "crusade" line, the murder of a filmmaker (Netherlands?) critical of Islam, and those northern European cartoons made the news. But at least this is making life a whole lot easier for late night comics.

Some of these Muslim organizations, underdeveloped and in need of resources to provide basic services to their own, might well start exporting irony.

Benny isnt entirely innocent however: Pope John Paul focussed on mending fences from centries old conflicts. Benny seems to want to bring them out again.

"Medieval Christendom did, however, study Islam, for the double purpose of protecting Christians from Muslim blandishments and converting Muslims to Christianity, and Christian scholars, most of them priests or monks, created a body of literature concerning the faith, its Prophet, and his book, polemic in purpose and often scurrilous in tone, designed to protect and discourage rather than to inform".." (From Islam and the West, by Bernard Lewis, pages 85-86)

So, Ahmed, can you tell us whether this business with the head tax is required by "islam" as the text explains, or by SOME adherents? Seems pretty inexcusably crazy if its on the commandment or principle level.

So, Ahmed, can you tell us whether this business with the head tax is required by "islam" as the text explains, or by SOME adherents? Seems pretty inexcusably crazy if its on the commandment or principle level.

I dont know what head tax is.

But its pretty clear that forcing people to convert is a sin in islam.

Even so called violent versus that have lines such as ''kill all the unbelievers''(part of a larger surah) applies in the middle of a battlefield when a group of people literally say "We will kill all muslims"
and thats the context of it. IE only when attacked by a particular group.

"... We will break up the cross, spill the liquor and impose the 'jizya' tax, then the only thing acceptable is a conversion (to Islam) or (being killed by) the sword."

Islam forbids drinking alcohol and requires non-Muslims to pay the "jizya" tax, though those who convert are exempt. The tax, sometimes called a head tax, has not been imposed in Muslim nations in about 100 years, though Islamic militant groups have tried to force non-Muslims to pay it on a local level in some countries."

Benny isnt entirely innocent however: Pope John Paul focussed on mending fences from centries old conflicts. Benny seems to want to bring them out again.

I don't know what he WANTS to do, but what he did was dumb. On the other hand, these reactions seem so incredibly amplified and out of proportion. I suppose that just speaks to the type of leadership they have over there.

I don't know what he WANTS to do, but what he did was dumb. On the other hand, these reactions seem so incredibly amplified and out of proportion. I suppose that just speaks to the type of leadership they have over there.

It's likely that Western provocateurs are getting them stirred up hoping they'll pull off a major attack and shift public sentiment to favor more prolonged conquests in the middleeast.

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